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I E 2 Sheets-Shea 1. H. A. HOUSE 8L D. WHEELER. Machine for. Finishing Pelt Hats.

(No Model.)

No. 236,950.. Patented Jan. 25,1881.

v N x *w m N WE N. PETERS, E'NOTO-IJTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, 0.6V I

v H 2Shets-Sheet 2. I H. -A. ;HOU-SE &,:D:.. WHEELE Machine-Tor Finishing Felt Hats;

( N o M aeL).

Pat efifT -dlan. 25,1881;

' UNrrED STATES PATIENT CFFICE.

HENRY A. HOUSE AND DWIGHT WHEELER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FELT HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,950, dated January 25, 1881.

Application filed October 18, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY A. HOUSE and DWIGHT WHEELER, both of Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, have j ointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Finishing Felt Hats, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to effect automatically andloy mechanism the operations requisite for the finishing of hats and other articles of felt, which have heretofore been performed by hand, and-to secure thereby a more speedy and a better result without the use of skilled labor.

In carrying out ourimprovement we employ a block for holding the article, a rotating or traveling finishing-tool, consisting of a disk, block, or band coated or covered with sand, pumice, felt, or other suitable material, and mechanism of any suitable character, whereby the tool is caused, while moving rapidly, to traverse the entire surface to be finished. While various mechanisms may be employed for efiecting the desired result, we have used effectively that shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of a hat-finishing machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an end view, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a plan; Fig. 4-, a perspective view of the main parts of the mechanism; Fig. 5, a diagram illustrating the operations with a block difierin g from that shown in the other figures.

The blockA holds the article to be finishedas, for instance, a hat having a round crown, as in Figs] to 4, or a cylindrical crown, as in Fig. 5--and is detachably mounted on a spindle, B, and the tool (forpouncing) consists of a band, O, of leather or other flexible material, to which sand-paper or a rasping composition is applied.

The spindle may revolve in a sleeve,B, and the band-tool Gimay pass round and be driven by a pulley, D, on a driving-shaft, D but we prefer to mount the band on pulleys a a, turning in a carrier-frame,E, and to drive the pulleys a a from the shaft D by the independent belt 1).

The frame E is carried by a bracket, D which swings on the driving-shaft D,'as shown,

(No model.)

the latter deriving its movement from a belt passing round the pulley D The article to be finished is placed upon the block A, and the tool 0 is brought upon the crown of the article at the center, and a rapid motion is imparted to the tool while the block is slowly rotated. Either the block or the operating-tool may be moved so as to gradually carry the tool from the center to the edge of the crown, and the block or tool may then be moved to carry the tool over the edge 3 and then toward the brim, the rotation of the block being meanwhile continued. If the block is semi-spherical instead of cylindrical, there is more of a rotary and less of a traveling motion; but whatever may be the shape the relative movements of the block and tool are such that the tool will pass from the center of the crown to the brim and back while itself in rapid motion and while the block is being rotated. By this means the hat is rapidly and uniformly pounced, and may then be rapidly and effectively finished by substituting for a pouncing-tool a finishing-tool consisting of a belt or disk covered with felt or its equivalent. While the hats arefinished with greater rapidity by the means described, the result is better than when hand-labor is employed, and the use of skilled labor is avoided.

The band-tool G is in contact with the body at a point about midway between the pulleys a a, and can therefore yield slightly to conform to the contour of the hat while bearing firmly upon the latter, a requisite degree of pressure being obtained by means of a weight, W, adjustable upon a bar, f, projecting from the bracket D The requisite tension on the band may be secured by means of a tightening-roller, a.

The sleeve B is clamped in a slide, 0, movable by means of a screw, 0, in the cross-head d of a bracket, I, projecting from arock-shaft, F. This shaft F rocks in a standard, d, of a carriage, G, which slides between guides 3 3 of the base-plate A, the. said carriage supporting two other standards, (1 d and the said standards supporting a bracket, 01, (dotted lines, Fig.1,) through the head d of which passes the driving-shaft D, supported by stationary standards 01 d fixed to the base-plate A.

The movement of the block A laterally be- ICO neath the tool is eflected by sliding the carriage G back and forth, one means of doing which consists of a bell-crank lever, H, pivoted to the standard (1 at the rear, attached at the lower end to a rod, 11, connected atthe Opposite end to a stationary pivot, and provided with a stud extending into the camgroove at one side of a cam-whee], J mounted on a shaft, 6, turning in the standard 11. The wheel J has at the opposite side a cam-groove, 7, receiving a stud, 8, of a rod, K, connected to the crank-arm 9 of the rock-shaft F. The rotation of the cam-wheel J thus rocks the shaft F, so as to present the block in different positions beneath the tool, and also by swinging the lever H causes the carriage G to move back and forth, thus moving the block A laterally beneath the tool. As these movements vary with blocks of different shapes, the camwheel J is removable from its shaft, so as to permit upon each change of block the application of a corresponding cam wheel to the shaft 6.

The cam-wheel derives its movement from gears intervening between the toothed periphcry of the wheel and a pinion upon a shaft, L, turning in the standards d and carrying a toothed wheel, L, engaging with a worm, L, on the shaft 1). As the worm L must move with the carriage G, it slides upon, but turns with, a shaft, D, being carried back and forth by means of the bracket d.

The rotation of the block A is efl'ected by turning the spindle B by means of a coupled gear, M, (shown in the drawings,) driven by a shaft, N, which slides through a sleeve, 11, turning in a yoke, 1, swinging on the shaft L. The sleeve h is provided with a pinion gearing with a beveled wheel, 1', on the end of the shaft L, and with a feather fitting a groove in the rod N, which may thus slide in but turn with the sleeve. By means of the coupled gear and sliding rod N the spindle B is driven during the rocking and sliding movements imparted to the block.

When necessary to remove or adjust the block A the frame E, with its too] and appliances, may be turned up to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

To furtheraccommodate the belt to the shape of the hat, the carrier E is provided with a shank, f fitting a socket in the bracket 1), so that the carrier may turn laterally to a slight extent.

While we have found in practice that the above-described devices are most effective in their operation, we do not limit ourselves to the same, as various appliances may be used for carrying the moving pouncing or finishing tool 0 over all portions of the hat or other article upon the block A.

Without, therefore, limitingourselves to said devices,

We claim- The combination, in a hat-finishing machine, of a hat-block, a finishing-tool, and automatically-operating devices, whereby the tool is rapidly moved and all portions of the hat successively presented to the same, substantially as set forth. 7o

2. The combination of the block A, devices for turning and swinging the same, and the band-tool C and devices for operating the same automatically, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the block A, its adjusting devices, bracket D driving-shaft D, and tool and carrier E, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the tool and its operating appliances, of a block, A, carriage G, and devices for rotating and swinging the block upon the carriage and for reciprocating the latter, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the carriage G, rockshaft F, block A, supported by said shaft, and cam-wheel J, and appliances whereby the shaft is rocked and the carriage moved back and forth by the action of said wheel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our 0 names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. HOUSE. DWIGHT WHEELER. Witnesses for H. A. House:

CHARLES E. FOSTER, J. E. W1LsoN. Witnesses for D. Wheeler:

ALFRED B. BEERS, CHARLES E. FOSTER. 

